Woodbine: Honorable Guest targets rebound in Frost King Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Honorable Guest seemingly lays over the field in Wednesday’s $125,000 Frost King Stakes, and he should be the clear favorite in the seven-furlong sprint for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds at Woodbine.

Honorable Guest finished second in each of his first three outings, including two stakes, although he was demoted to fifth in the Colin for interference. He earned his diploma by eight lengths in a six-furlong maiden special for Ontario-sired stock Aug. 11.

Honorable Guest lost a heartbreaker Sept. 3, in the 6 1/2-furlong Simcoe Stakes for graduates of local yearling sales. He made a wide bid for the lead on the turn and then led through most of the stretch before being nailed on the wire by stablemate Dynamic Sky, who subsequently ran second in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland.

Honorable Guest earned a big 90 Beyer Speed Figure in the Simcoe. He only got a 58 Beyer when a distant second most recently in the six-furlong Bull Page Stakes, the type of regression that could be construed as a bounce.

Trainer Mark Casse has lots of admiration for Honorable Guest, a homebred owned by Nancy Guest.

“He’s really talented,” Casse said. “We thought from the beginning, when we had him early on in Ocala, that he was a really nice horse. So far, he’s lived up to that. He’s very professional, a beautiful-moving horse. If you looked at him, he sure wouldn’t stand out in a crowd, but if you watch him go, he would.”

Patrick Husbands will ride Honorable Guest again.

Captain Cook, a quick maiden from Kentucky, figures to lead the way. He failed to draw in off the also-eligible list in an Ontario-sired maiden special Sunday.

Captain Cook tried open maiden special company in his only start here Oct. 21. He tired in the late stages after setting all the fractions in that seven-furlong sprint, finishing just 1 1/2 lengths back in fourth.

Julio Garcia has the mount on the Wesley Ward-trained Captain Cook, a homebred owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Trainer Bob Tiller entered Power Phil and Jade Dragon in the Frost King.

Power Phil graduated second time out by 3 1/2 lengths, in a seven-furlong Ontario-sired maiden special Oct. 8.

Jade Dragon was a well-beaten sixth in each of his two stakes engagements, including the Bull Page. He checked in third as the favorite two races back in a $40,000 claimer.

The stretch-runner Fantastic Prospect is unbeaten in two starts, against $20,000 maidens and $25,000 claimers.